title: The effect of meconium on neonatal and fetal reflectance pulse oximetry.
abstract: Reflectance probes are being developed for neonatal use and obstetricians are beginning to use reflectance pulse oximetry to monitor the fetus. When a reflectance probe was used to monitor the arterial oxygen saturation of a baby whose skin was stained with meconium an artificially low result was obtained. This is because meconium absorbs more red than infra-red light and acts as a red light filter between the vascular bed and the probe. This effect may be reproduced by interposing a red filter between a reflectance pulse oximetry probe and the skin. Obstetricians who use a pulse oximeter to assess the fetus through intact membranes will record an erroneously low result if they are stained with meconium. Similarly neonatologists should avoid placing a reflectance pulse oximetry probe on babies skin which is stained with meconium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St James' University Hospital, Leeds, England.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bannister
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: McNamara
mesh_terms: D005188:False Negative Reactions; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008470:Meconium / Q000737:chemistry; D010092:Oximetry; D012867:Skin; D013053:Spectrophotometry